Starfleet President
The Federation President (formally, the President of the United Federation of Planets) is the democratically elected head of state and head of government of the United Federation of Planets. The President presides over the Federation Council, and is occasionally referred to as Council President. The President's office can be found in Paris on Earth. The President is the Chief Executive Officer of the Federation. Amongst other duties, he or she is responsible for the day-to-day running of the government, helping to organize budgets, sub-council appointments, the coordination of foreign policy, and is the commander of all Starfleet forces. In addition, the President sometimes presides over special courts-martial in which the Federation Council serves as the judging body. As leader of the Federation, the president is widely considered the most powerful person in the known Alpha and Beta Quadrants. In the original Star Fleet Technical Manual, the section "Articles of Federation" referred not to a president but a "Governor of the Federation Council." In subsequent continuities, the two offices may be combined, or may remain separate. Military Duties The president also serves as the commander of the Federation Starfleet and the rest of the Federation's armed forces (though the specific title of "Commander-in-Chief" is held by the highest-ranking Starfleet officer), granting the president nearly absolute authority over the actions of Starfleet. The president may not declare war, however; that particular right is reserved to the Council. The president also has the right to declare martial law on a Federation Member State, a political subdivision of a Member State, or in a political subdivision of the Federation itself. In 2372, for instance, former president Jaresh-Inyo of Grazer declared martial law on Earth (the primary planetary political subdivision of United Earth, a founding Member, and capital planet of the UFP itself) in response to concerns about Changeling infilration when that planet's power distribution system was sabotaged. The president may preside over special sessions of the Federation Judiciary Council which serve as courts-martial of Starfleet officers; former President Hiram Roth, for instance, presided over the council session that served as the court-martial of Starfleet officers James T. Kirk, Leonard McCoy, Montgomery Scott, Pavel Chekov, Hikaru Sulu, and Nyota Uhura in 2286, following the destruction of the first USS Enterprise in orbit of the Genesis Planet. edit Foreign Policy The president is responsible for the appointment of Federation Ambassadors to foreign nations, a responsibility apparently wielded unilaterally, without requiring the authorization of the Federation Council. The president also sets the course for Federation foreign policy, though the Council can override the president's foreign policy directives if such as resolution has a sufficiently large majority of councillors behind it. edit Miscellaneous Duties The president often presides over state dinners, such as the abortive state dinner held in the Roth Dining Room of the Palais in 2380 to welcome the Trinni/ek delegation to Earth. edit Role Notable presidents who have taken strong steps in defining the role of the presidency include Haroun al-Rashid, Avaranthi sh'Rothress, Kenneth Wescott, Ra-ghoratreii, Thelianaresth th'Vorothishria, and Min Zife. The Federation presidency has traditionally been an office considerably less autonomous than the presidencies of traditional planetary governments. In the wake of the Zife Administration and the Dominion War, however, the presidency has become a considerably more autonomous office with much less overview from the Federation Council. The president, however, nonetheless serves as the political and inspirational leader of the United Federation of Planets, and is still looked up to for guidance and leadership by the people of the Federation. Category:Post